Meet Your New Neighbors

Contractor Scott Crooke and his wife Susie bought Tangleweed Farm in Golden Hills last October. The couple had been living in Orcutt, on the Central Coast, and was looking for more room to raise a family and their two boxers, Sunnie and Summer. Scott had been coming to Tehachapi for years. He has a friend living in Paradise Valley, near enough to Tehachapi Mountain Park to hike there. About two years ago the Crookes bought a piece of property in Alpine Forest thinking they would build there. While searching online, Scott saw Tangleweed. His friend knew about the farm so they took a look and that was that. Susie, who has a real estate license, was able to act as agent. She said that she has already found a firm to join in Tehachapi. Just as escrow was closing Susie found out she was pregnant which slowed down their move to the farm.

Susie and Scott are both Californians. Scott was raised in Orange County and graduated from Mater Dei High School. He is well acquainted with the Norbertine monastery in Water Canyon. Susie was raised in Santa Clarita and went to Loyola Marymount College. Scott has one younger brother and Susie has four. They met on the central coast when Susie was teaching part time in Lompoc and working at A.J. Spurs restaurant. The restaurant is where they met. Their family now includes two boys, three-and-a-half year old Rowdy and Rhett, who by now is approaching three months old.

Both Scott and Susie like to cook and farm. Susie grows succulents which will become one of the offerings at the farm. They changed the name slightly to Tangleweed Farms (adding an "s") and have great plans for the property. What once was a pond will now be the site of a new redwood barn and Scott plans to add a Santa Maria-style barbecue, pizza oven, patio cover and picnic tables. They have already added "Farm House Dinners". They plan to eventually add wine grapes and a tasting room.

Scott said that they want to feature different varieties of organics than are available in local markets but will also keep the Olallieberries, lavender and fruit that were a part of the original farm. I don't usually get the chance to say "stop by and welcome" the people I visit, but in this case, if you do, you will be glad you did. They reopened the farm on April 21 and it will be open to the public Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 – 5 p.m., located at 21192 Old Town Rd. You will also find them at Main Street Tehachapi's Farmers' Market and on Facebook.

Welcome Scott, Susie, Rowdy and Rhett.

Bopha and Arun moved to Bear Valley Springs in February. They had a house in the Country Club area of Palmdale; however, Arun said he has dreamed of moving to Tehachapi since the late 1990s, but was never able to make it happen.

The couple met in a refugee camp in Thailand after escaping the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the 1970s. They came to the United States in 1980 and settled in Long Beach. "Arun could write a book," says Bopha about their experiences. Arun became a Systems Analyst with Fidelity Financial Services and the couple were able to travel and live all over the country.

They have three children. Bopha said that their son David, at the age of 17, decided that he wanted to join the Marines knowing that he could retire in 20 years. That ROTC member, who had over a 4.0 GPA and was Valedictorian of his class, has now been in the Marines for 16 years, has had a couple of tours in Iraq under his belt and is trained as an air traffic controller. He is also married with two daughters.

Their daughter Jennifer is an Ensign in the Navy. She studied English at USC on a Navy scholarship and is now assigned to a JAG unit. She is also married with two daughters. Their son Michael studied Computer Science at the University of North Carolina and is now a programmer at Family Dollar. Needless to say Bopha and Arun are very proud of their family.

Arun loves photography, mostly landscapes and is anxiously awaiting the local poppies. He plays the keyboard and sings, is a Ham Radio operator and plays tennis. Bopha likes to cook and makes beautiful jewelry. She once taught jewelry design at Hobby Lobby when they lived in North Carolina.

If you have moved to the Greater Tehachapi Area within the last six months and would like to know more about your new community, call (661) 822-8188. We will be happy to make an appointment for a hostess to come by and give you lots of helpful information, some valuable coupons, gifts and much more. Many families and individuals who come to the area are pleasantly surprised with the amount of knowledge they gather about their new home. Publishing your welcome article is completely voluntary and is not a requirement of being welcomed.